The present invention relates to a method wherein graphic data items input into a computer are stored in a memory and searched to seek out certain graphic data. More particularly, it relates to a graphic data searching and storing method well suited to quickly search for a figure at any desired position and to efficiently use a memory.
Regarding the search of graphic data, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open number 117077/1983 proposes a method wherein a figure is searched for by the use of two tables. An address data table has addresses of memory areas storing the graphic data. A management table, with respect to each of subspaces obtained by dividing a coordinate space covering all the graphic data into suitable small cells, stores coordinates representative of the subspace held in correspondence with spatial addresses on the address data table storing the addresses of figures passing through the cell.